Speech of Senator Joel Villanueva on the passage of the Bayanihan 2 bill on Third and Final Reading

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed tremendous threats to the sectors of labor and education. It has caused loss of millions of jobs locally and abroad, and continues to put our frontliners and workers at risk of infection. It has also interrupted the education of roughly 35 million students.

Kaya ang gusto po natin na sana makarating tayong lahat sa 'finish line' na ligtas sa sakit, may trabaho at 'yung mga mag-aaral natin ay hindi 'mangangamote' dahil hindi makasabay sa pag-aaral under the "new normal". However, as already aired out by most of my colleagues, my fellow senators, we are afraid that the Php140 billion fund provided by the Department of Finance may be inadequate, or should I say definitely inadequate.

Ang analogy ko po, kung gusto natin ng recovery, hindi pwedeng "AMBU BAG" lang ang meron tayo, dapat "MECHANICAL VENTILATOR". Marami na po tayong isinakripisyo laban sa COVID-19 kaya hindi po maaari na ang bawat isang hakbang pasulong ay may kasabay ding dalawang paatras na hakbang.

Thus, we need to build back better by "recovering" our "momentum" as a growing nation. At ito pong panukalang batas na ito ay makakatulong sa ating pananaw. We thank our chairman, Senator Angara for adopting almost all of our amendments:

First, we supported the insertion of the allocation of Php15 billion for cash-for-work programs and Php17 billion unemployment or involuntary separation assistance to workers, including freelancers, OFWs, part-time faculty in private and public tertiary education institutions, and workers in critical sectors.

Second, we introduced an amendment emphasizing the need to immediately conduct tracing of the contacts of confirmed, probable and suspected COVID-19 patients. This will not only help control the risk of transmission, but also ensure that transmission of the virus to health care workers is kept at a minimum. To date, there have been 3,938 healthcare personnel infected by COVID-19. This constitutes 6% of the total cases in the country, which is twice the infection rate of 2-3% for healthcare workers in the Western Pacific Region. Parang isinasabak po natin tuloy sila sa giyera na walang dalang bala, kaya importante ang batas na ito.

Third, we introduced an amendment to prioritize the development of a clear reintegration program for our returning OFWs. Isinama rin natin ang AKAP program ng DOLE para sa mga OFWs sa listahan ng mga programa na dapat gawing prayoridad sa mga realigned funds.

We note that already around 500,000 affected OFWs have applied for AKAP, but the budget, despite recent augmentation, only allows for the provision of assistance to 250,000 beneficiaries. Kaya makakatulong po ito, ginoong pangulo.

Fourth, we also introduced an amendment providing a Php3 billion assistance for SUCs for investments in ICT infrastructure and appropriate equipment to implement flexible learning modalities, and Php1 billion assistance to TESDA as additional scholarship funds for the retooling, retraining and upskilling of displaced workers, including returning OFWs, as well as provision of tools.

Mr. President, it is not a secret to all of us that the education sector has also tremendously suffered from the pandemic.

According to DepEd data, enrollment for AY 2020-2021 has already declined by 7 million in basic education. Meanwhile, according to the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), the enrollment in private education institutions is seen to decline by 50% or by 2 million.

To exacerbate this further, the realignment of the budgets of DepEd, CHED, TESDA, and our SUCs to COVID-19 response has inevitably affected, and will affect how our education institutions can cope with the shift to blended learning and in ensuring that learning continues despite the pandemic.

Recognizing the key role of TESDA in the COVID-19 recovery phase, our amendment for a Php1 billion scholarship funds for TESDA is just apt, considering that Php2.103 billion of its 2020 budget has been realigned.

Kapag po TRABAHO at EDUKASYON na ang naging biktima ng pandemya, hindi lang po mahihirapang huminga ang ating ekonomiya, baka maghingalo rin ang pangarap at pag-asang kinakapitan ng ating mga kababayan. Hindi po tayo makakapayag na mangyari ito. Ang "BAYANIHAN EXTENSION" po ang magsisilbing armas natin - lalo na para protektahan ang mga trabaho at panatilihing bukas ang pintuan ng ating mga paaralan at sama-sama nating mapagtagumpayan ang salot na bumabalot sa ating bayan.

Maraming salamat po at pagpalain tayo ng Panginoong Diyos.